Five EU countries, including Croatia, call for pause in Montenegro accession process
The Netherlands, joined by Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, want deeper checks before further moves; Montenegro has closed 18 of 33 chapters.
Five EU member states — led by the Netherlands — have called for a pause in the accession process for Montenegro, saying a more thorough analysis and consistent application of the agreed standards are needed before further steps proceed.
Alongside the Netherlands, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia backed the request, increasing pressure on the current pace of negotiations and raising questions about when the next formal moves will be made at EU level.
Uncertainty over chapters and the next intergovernmental meeting
An EU source in Brussels told reporters that it is currently unclear when progress will be made toward closing additional negotiating chapters or when an Intergovernmental Conference could be scheduled. That uncertainty follows earlier expectations that at least one more chapter might be closed before the summer recess.
To date, Montenegro has closed 18 of the 33 negotiating chapters required for EU accession. The last Intergovernmental Conference, at which chapters were closed, took place in July.
Plans to advance chapter 14 stalled after Croatia placed an obstacle to its closure, complicating Podgorica's immediate prospects for moving forward in the accession track.
Photo: press material from the event
